BS: Coca-cola Zero

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 22 May 11 - 08:11 AM

We bought a bottle of cheap lemonade at Morrison's a while back. It was made of very thin plastic, and when I tried to open it, it exploded violently and sprayed the kitchen (and me) with lemonade. My husband called it 'Taliban Lemonade'. Morrison's gave us a refund, but seemed uninterested about the potential danger of the stuff. We buy 'R White's' now!

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 May 11 - 07:10 PM

The "coke bottle rocket" has been around since about the first day that "coke" was carbonated. The propellant is essentially the same as used in old-fashioned soda-acid fire extinguishers. With CO₂ dissolved in water, any change in pH (acidity) will cause an effervescent release of gas. Since the gas has a larger volume when free than when dissolved, the pressure in a closed container, or one with a restricted outlet, will rise, and expulsion of the liquid provides the "mass transfer" needed to propel the container.

A very similar "device" is frequently used to demonstrate the propulsion principle for kids in "rocket clubs" (a.la. "science classes" for pre-teens) but better control is usually achieved by using plain water and a small air compressor (with a pressure guage) to pump up the gas.

Pressures obtainable by "CO₂ effervescence" are relatively modest (seldom more than the pressure in your auto tire, and less than in some bicycle tires) unless extreme confinement is achieved. The same CO₂ is confined in the original "coke bottle" at a pressure that the container can withstand easily enough, and shaking the bottle releases some of the gas at about the same pressure as can be obtained chemically. The difference is that the chemical effect can continue to release a larger volume, rapidly, to sustain the gas pressure as the liquid finds somewhere to go.

The "incident" in the video is an obvious demonstration of stupidity, but is considerably less dangerous than if the photographer had been trying to capture the "star's" curve ball, and the "pitcher" missed. Even an "amateur" can throw a lethal baseball, but the "rocket," while perhaps a little more massive, lacks the 60+ mph(?) velocity capability to be much more than embarrassing.

Kids need supervision and training (much more of both than is common) to play baseball, and "experiments" of the kind shown should be supervised.

Unfortunately, there's less that can be done about adults who swim in the scummy parts of the gene pool. The only effective recourse sometimes available is to leave the vicinity immediately whenever you hear the familiar "Hey, Bubba - Watch This!"

(Remaining to watch indicates that the scummy part of the pool is perhaps too close to your own comfort range(?).)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 May 11 - 05:39 PM

Fat came before diet drinks, but I seem to remember seeing a paper relating carbonated drinks to a desire to eat, so you may be right.
In past days, a man with a big belly spoke of it as his 'corporation'- as he drank his brandy and soda before dinner.

A song I'll have to dig out of my notes began, if I remember:
There lived a fat old lady
In Boston she did dwell
She loved her old man dearly
But another one twice as well

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 21 May 11 - 03:45 PM

I don't have a scientific basis for this, but I observe that everyone I know who is grossly, seriously, worryingly overweight drinks diet beverages.

I suspect that in some people, but perhaps not all, diet beverages trigger an unfightable urge to eat.

Me, when I'm thirsty, I drink water. Still fat, but not THAT fat.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 21 May 11 - 03:12 PM

Haven't tried Coke Zero (don't eat or drink anything with man made sweeteners, and I consider even Sucralose to be such), but occasionally I buy CocaCola from Mexico. It uses real cane sugar, comes in glass bottles, and the taste is definitely better than the domestic product.

Unless one is diabetic, or slugging down a six pack a day, I see no reason to have diet anythings. I get a kick out of watching Mr or Ms 2X4 eating a double, double cheese burger with extra large fries and a large diet soda...as if that soda makes it alright.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 May 11 - 02:20 PM

Reminds me of the carbide bombs and other devices we, as miscreant teenagers, used to make years ago.
Just a wee bit dangerous.

I also remember the little Japanese dynamite 'cracker bombs' we were able to buy in those days. Put one under an upturned bucket and the remains of the bucket flew high, as well as losing most of its bottom. We didn't resort to putting one in a mail pickup box, but I can imagine the cnfetti that would result.

Little chemistry is taught teenagers nowadays. Years ago the large chemistry 'sets' our parents gave us could be used to make a variety of explosive or incendary products. Some of the chemicals could be bought in bulk from the pharmacist's store. If these still exist, many of the more interesting chemicals have been replaced by more inocuous products.

Another I remember. When the product was wet, we put it on the sides of teacher's desk drawer. When she opened it next morning, there were very satisfactory explosive sounds. Sure to disrupt the start of a class.

I won't describe contents, today's kids are inventive enough without adding to their store of destructive devices.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 21 May 11 - 09:54 AM

Russ, the comments on the video seem to show that youngsters regard this as a harmless bit of fun. But anything exploding with that force is bound to hurt someone. Health-and-safety can be a bit fussy at times, but this could be dangerous. And youngsters won't do it sensibly, they'll be chucking them about everywhere (eg letterboxes, bus queues, crowded places etc.), if I know anything about kids!

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Greg F.
Date: 21 May 11 - 07:49 AM

now to get a link...

Still waiting, Donuel. While you're at it, how about a link for the FAA Ban nonsense, too?

I betcha aspertame causes autism, too, right?

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 05 - 12:32 AM

A case of one upsmanship (or maybe downsmanship) directed at Pepsi One

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Oct 05 - 08:39 PM

Where do you think they got the idea for Coca Cola Zero?

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: number 6
Date: 14 Oct 05 - 06:06 PM

Whatever happened to New Coke? Anyone remember that big marketing pile of doo doo?

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 05 - 01:31 AM

I like it better than Coke Classic.

So there.

So be it.

For good Caffeine content, you can't beat Mountain Dew Red.

And I also like peanut butter and aspartame sanwiches.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 08:22 PM

There was a web site a few years ago where a young US girl kept cans of diet coke at various temps for periods of time and then tested them. her mum had access to controlled temp storage gadgets. The breakdown products affected the taste.

I can't drink Aspartame without gagging.

We had "Zero" here in Aus a few years ago - wasn't very popular. It was caffeine carbonated water with Aspartame. No colour, no sugar, no odour, no taste.

We had a range 'sugar free' carbonated drinks here. The brand name I can't remember, but they had a 'Soda water'. The cute thing was that he brand name (can't remember it now) was incongruous when associated with 'soda water' which was just carbonated water...

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: artbrooks
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 06:33 PM

The Aspartame/fermaldahyde thing has been going around for a long time. Snopes says it's bunk.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 06:11 PM

So, if you drink enough aspartame or methanol it will convert into formaldehyde, and you'll embalm yourself from the inside out.

Neat.

Saves on funeral costs.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 05:21 PM

I like coffee, I like tea
I like the java jive and it likes me
Cofee and tea and the java and me
a cuppa cuppa cuppa cuppa cup.

Waiter, waiter, percolator!

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: bobad
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 04:30 PM

Drink beer to be safe.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 04:22 PM

The aspartame diet drink -while still in the can- will break down into formaldehyde when heated.


now to get a link...

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: number 6
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 04:17 PM

Never drink pop, soda's, soft drinks or whatever they're called these days, so I can't help ya there Mooh.

But I am aware of the grabage stickers in your neck of the woods .. now that would be a good thing out our way.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: beardedbruce
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 03:29 PM

nope, again. Try reading

"Like many other peptides, aspartame may hydrolyze (break down) into its constituent amino acids under conditions of elevated temperature or high pH. This makes aspartame undesirable as a baking sweetener, and prone to degradation in high-pH products requiring a long shelf life. Aspartame's stability under heating can be improved to some extent by encasing it in fats or in maltodextrin. Aspartame's stability when dissolved in water depends markedly on pH. At room temperature, it is most stable at pH 4.3, where its half-life is nearly 300 days. At pH 7 however, its half-life is only a few days. Most soft-drinks have a pH between 3 and 5, where aspartame is reasonably stable. In products that may require a longer shelf life, such as syrups for fountain beverages, aspartame is sometimes blended with a more stable sweetener, such as saccharin."

"Scientists agree that approximately 10% of aspartame (by weight) is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. Most of the methanol is absorbed and quickly converted into formaldehyde. Some scientists believe that the methanol cannot be a problem because: a) there is not enough methanol absorbed to cause toxicity, b) that methanol and formaldehyde are already a by-product of human metabolism, and c) that there is more methanol in some alcoholic beverages and fruit juices than is derived from aspartame ingestion. [12] [13]

Other scientists believe a) fruit juices and alcoholic beverages always contain protective chemicals such as ethanol that block conversion of methanol into formaldehyde, but aspartame contains no protective factors; b) that the levels of methanol and particularly formaldehyde have been proven cause chronic toxicity in humans, and c) that the low levels of methanol and formaldehyde in human metabolism are tightly-controlled such that significant increases from aspartame ingestion are not safe. "

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 03:23 PM

I don't do aspartame. Or sorbitol. I will use Splenda, once in a while. I'll keep with sugar, when I want something sweet.

Or my wife. She's sweet.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 03:15 PM

Bearded Bruce is right, it is 105 degrees NOT 90.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 03:07 PM

I cannot eat or drink anything with aspartame, but, Donuel, do you have a reliable cite for the FAA ban? All I could find at the FAA site was this page which features an excerpt from a "how to jettison the fat" book by an FAA medical person. He lists aspartame as an acceptable *food.* Not that I agree, but I still couldn't find anything about a ban for pilots. Snopes had nothing either.

I quit drinking colas of any kind many years ago. I do an occasional Sprite or Sierra Mist, but NEVER diet...I'll take my chances with the sugar, instead.:-)

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: beardedbruce
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 02:44 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame

"Should the nutrasweet beverage ever exceed 90 degrees F prior to injestion the chemicals break down into Formaldehyde."

Nope.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 02:36 PM

I won't belabor the point but when you said "addict" you were closer to the truth than you realized.

The sweetener Aspartame/nutrasweet (and a dozen more names for the same toxic poison) is more dangerous and addictive than tobbaco on a short term basis.

Should the nutrasweet beverage ever exceed 90 degrees F prior to injestion the chemicals break down into Formaldehyde.

The FAA has banned the use of these drinks for airline pilots due to the seizure, memory and vision problems they cause but not for the addictive components of Aspartame.

Monstanto has long since sold the patent rights to avoid the coming storm of litigation.

google Aspartame danger if you are in doubt.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Mooh
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 02:24 PM

Yeah Clinton, $1.50 per sticker, one sticker per bag up to a certain dimension if you want the municipality to take it away. We recycle and compost as much as possible, so there's only a couple of bags per month at the curb, very tightly packed. If there's too much, for cost effectiveness I'll make the trip to the dump and pay their minimum charge. Sucks, but it's a fact of life around here, another tax.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 01:56 PM

Why do you put stickers on your garbage bags???

And you don't have to PAY for them do you??

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: GUEST,Pseudolus at Work
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 01:15 PM

Well, I can't do it because doc says I need to avoid caffeine like the plague but my daughter loves it! Just one 16 year old's opinion....


Frank

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Mooh
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 12:26 PM

Good one Rapaire. No sugar, no calories, no carbs, no fat, practically no sodium or protein either. Marginally better than water inasmuch as the caffeine remains, much worse if you acknowledge the aspartame and other crap it contains.

Expensive poison.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 11:30 AM

Yes, Wesley, but if you sniff it the bubbles still get up your nose. And there is the danger of drowning, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Wesley S
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 11:28 AM

Can I assume this is a low/no calorie low carb version of coke ?

Subject: BS: Coca-cola Zero
From: Mooh
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 10:37 AM

Wandered by the variety store this morning to pick up a municipal garbage sticker (we sticker every bag that goes to the curb), and on impulse bought a bottle of Coca-cola Zero. Being a long term addict of Diet Coke I was curious. Half way through, it still tastes more like Coke than Diet Coke, and can't be mistaken for Pepsi or some other imitator. Since I've been trying to reduce my intake to one bottle per day, I hope I haven't wasted my ration.

Anyone else tried it? Opinions?

Peace, Mooh.